Electrically-controlled optical appliance.



N0. 830,217. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906. J. O. FREDELL.

ELEOTRIOALLY CONTROLLED OPTICAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

J. O. FREDELL. ELEGTRICALLY CONTROLLED OPTICAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE- JOHN G. FREDELL, OF POCATELLO, IDAHO. ELECTRlCALLY-CONTROLLED OPTICAL APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. FREDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at P0- catello, in the county of Bannock and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled Optical Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electricallycontrolled optical appliance, such as a spyglass, opera-glass, or other similar device; and the object is to electrically operate and control a shutter, so that a sight through the lens-tube may be obtained for a predetermined eriod.

The invention further has for its object to economize in electrical energy, and to this end the construction includes a shutter-operating mechanism that is momentarily energized to open the shutter and 'a ocking mechanism which holds the shutter open for a certain period and which is momentarily energized at the end of said period to release the shutter, wherefore there will be no expenditure of electrical energy during the use of the instrument.

For a full understanding of the construction and merits of my invention reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure l is a side elevation of the appliance.

Fig. 2 is a plan View with the top of the case containing the electrical mechanism re-' moved. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line at :r of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view, in end elevation, of the shutter-operating levers; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same. k

In carrying out the invention, any suitable optical instrument may be employed, and in the present drawings the same is shown as consisting of an opera-glass havin the barrels 1,

in which the lens-tubes 2 te escope in the usual manner, there being the usual adjusting-rod 3. .The lens-tubes are .partially inclosed by a suitable case 4, to the top of which is attached a box 5, that contains the operat ing mechanism for the shutter.

The shutter 6 is fulcrumed onthe adjusting-rod 3, and when the appliance is not in use each end of the shutter hes within the focus of the lenses, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, so as to obstruct the view therethrough. At a point above the fulcrum of the shutter the latter is provided with a slotted arm 7, in

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25,1905- Serial No. 276,789.

pivot and t Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

which the end of an operating-lever-S plays. This lever is fulcrumed in a post 9 in the box 5 and has an upwardly-extending arm 10, to which an armature 11 is secured. A coilspring 12, having one end secured to the top of the armature and its other end secured to the side of the box, tends to normally hold the armature away from its magnet and the lower end of the lever projected in an opposite direction, so as to hold the shutter in the lens-tubes, as shown in full linesin Fig 3.

A solenoid 14, mounted in one end of the box 5, serves to attract the armature 11 when a current of electricity is caused to pass through the coil of the solenoid, which is shown in Fig. 3 as having the positive and negative conductors 15 extended through the top of the box. The circuit is closed by any suitable coin-controlled mechanism with which the present invention may be associated, and the solenoid is only energized mo mentarily or long enough to attract its armature, which throws the shutter to the open position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The shutter-operating lever has associated therewith a locking mechanism, which consists of a lever 16, pivoted in a post 17 in one end of the box and having on its upper end sin-armature 18, which is adapted to be controlled by a solenoid 19, having conductors 15 extendin through the top of the box. This lockin ever extends forwardly from its hen downwardly through the bottom of the box, as at 20, and has its end 21 terminated adjacent to the end of the shutteroperating lever, so that when the latter swings 'on its pivot its end will engage the end of the locking-lever, forcing it downward against the tension of a spring 22, which bears against thebottom of the box. As the shutter-oper ating lever rides past and over the lock-inglever the spring 22 will return the locking-lever to its normal position, which position is in the path of the end of the shutter-lever,

and it will hold the latter, locked and the shut-- ter open until the lockin -lever is again depressed. The release o? the shutter-lever takes place at the end of a predetermined period, when the solenoid 19 becomes energized by a further operation of the coin-controlled mechanism, (not shown,) and at such time the armature 18 is attracted by the solenoid 19 and the lever 16 swung on its pivot, compressing the spring 22 and lowering the end 21 of the locking-lover to a osition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 an in full their contiguous faces are flattened, as at 23 in Fi 6, and thus they are not liable to be d18- lo ged by jar.

In vFig. 5 the full linesrepresent' the positions of the two levers when the shutter is 0 en, the shutter-lever 8 having assed over t e end of the lockinglever, an the dotted lines represent the position of the locking-lever after the shutter-lever has passed. over it, the said locking-lever having moved upwardl in the path of the shutter-lever. T e dotte -line position of the locking-lever in Fig. 4 represents the position of the lever when acted upon by the solenoid 19, the end 21 thereof being beneath the end of the shutter-lever to permit the latter to return to its normal osition.

It w' be seen that a constant current is not required to hold the shutter open or closed, as a momentary energizing of the solenoid 14 will open the shutter which is automatically locked, and-a momentary energizing of the solenoid 19 will release the lock,

thus effecting a considerable saving in the life of the battery, and consequently reducing the operating expenses. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 4 1 1. In an electrical optical a pliance 'of the class described, alens-tub, a s utter for controlling the openin through the lens-tube,v

means for opening t e shutter, means operating automatically to en age the shutter-opening means for locking t e shutter in open positlon for a predetermined period, means operatin upon said automatic lockingzmeans for refiaasing the shutter-opening means at the end of said period, and means for closing the shutter. I a

2. In an electrically-controlled eptical appliance, a lens-tube, a shutter for controlling the opening through the lens-tube, a lever connected with the shutter for moving it out of the lens-tube, a second lever dis os'ed within the ath of the first-mentione lever and adapts to engage the latter and hold it with the shutter for a predetermined period in the position to which it has been moved, means to operate upon the said second lever to release it from engagement with the first-men'- tioned lever and means for restoring the firstmentioned lever to its normal position in the lens-tube.

3. In an electrically-controlled optical ap-' pliance, the combination of a lens-tube, a shutter for controlling the opening in the lenstube, and instrumentalities including momentaril -energized solenoids, one of which effects t' e o eningof the shutter and the other of whic releases the shutter at the end of a predetcrminedperiod, and means for automatically locking the shutter in open position during said period.

4. In an electrically-controlled optical aprod"for the lens-tube, a shutter fulcrumed upon said rod, a lever having one end engaged with the shutter and having an armature on its other end, a solenoid for o crating said armature to 0 en the shutter, a ockinglever normally ,he d within the path of the shutter-0 crating lever and adapted to be engaged y the latter to hold the shutter in an 0 .en position, an armature on one end of the ocking-lever, a solenoid for o crating upon said armature to release the ockinglever fromengagement with the shutter-operating lever, and a spring secured to the armature of the shutter-operating lever for restoring the shutter to closed position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. JOHN C. FREDELL. Witnesses:

GEORGE Orl'rson, G. M. COLE. 

